Better Together? Combination Freezer/Refrigerator Units Vs. Standalone Separate Units

If you're trying to put together a professional kitchen, either for an actual business or just because you want a pro-level space in your home, the refrigerator and freezer are going to be under special scrutiny. On one hand, you have the standard combination refrigerator and freezer in one unit (with the freezer located in various places), or you could have two separate units, one for frozen goods and one for refrigerated goods -- and it is possible to find full-size refrigerators without freezers and vice versa. Choosing between the two, though, is not that easy. Here's a look at how each style could affect your days in the kitchen.

Repairs

A big plus for having separate units is that if one breaks, you don't have to take the other out of commission to have the broken unit repaired. If you have a combination unit, though, you have to take both compartments offline to repair one of them. For example, if you have a typical freezer/fridge unit like you see in most homes, and the freezer starts not freezing that well, you're going to have to not only deal with a broken freezer, but a non-working fridge as well. This is because:

1. You'll have to unplug the entire unit to fix the freezer, and
2. Chances are that whatever is making the freezer malfunction is also affecting, or going to affect, the refrigerator and make that malfunction.

So you have to find space somewhere for all your frozen and refrigerated food, or risk losing it all.

However, if you have separate units, and your freezer unit stops working, your refrigerator unit is going to keep on ticking, and you'll only have to worry about what to do with the frozen foods while you get the freezer repaired. If you don't want to deal with all of your frozen and refrigerated goods going bad during repairs, separate units are best for you.

Space

For the combination units, a winning factor is space. If you have two separate units, you generally need twice the floor space that one combination unit would take up. So if you're in a small house or condo, a unit that combines the refrigerator and freezer is the most efficient for you, unless you buy compact models -- dorm-style units, in other words -- that are small and can be stacked on top of one another.

Convenience

One of the issues with combination units is that no matter where the freezer is located with regards to the fridge, someone's going to find it inconvenient. For example, a unit that has a freezer drawer on the bottom might be inconvenient for someone who can't bend over easily, but a top-freezer unit may not work well for someone who is very short and can't reach all the way in back in that top unit. With separate units, you can place items wherever you want in the units.

For more information, contact Taylor Freezer Sales Of Arizona or a similar company.